Hidden Truths

by David Horne

  "It's not your fault, Branch," Geoff whispered gently.

  "Yeah," Branch admitted, but his voice didn't sound very convincing. He stood staring at the ground as Geoff squeezed his shoulder and then, slowly, he lifted his flashlight and leaned closer to the ground. What he saw sent a shiver down his spine. "It's Dale's radio," he breathed and carefully picked it up.

  "Was he up here by himself?" Geoff asked.

  "I don't know. He stayed to make sure everyone got out this time. I think we would have heard if anyone else had gone missing."

  "Is it possible he's just lost?" Geoff knew he was grasping at straws, but the last thing they needed to do was panic.

  Branch shook his head. "I doubt it. He wouldn't have stayed up here past sunset on his own if he could help it either." He swung his flashlight into the woods beyond where he'd picked up the radio. "There's nothing for it, we're going to have to go into the woods, see if there are any more clues as to where he is."

  Geoff peered into the forest. There wasn't much to see, so he added his own light to Branch's. Even then, the forest was so dense that it was hard to make out anything. Instinct told him to wait until morning, but he knew that the young deputy could be in real trouble. He reached down and took Branch's hand, surprising the Sheriff, who jumped a bit.

  "I know I don't have to tell you how dangerous this could be," he said.

  Branch looked down at their hands and then nodded. "We have to find him, though."

  Geoff took a deep breath and said, "Lead the way."

  Branch looked back toward the trees, not really seeing any kind of path, but he knew Dale had to go through there somewhere. He took a breath himself, knowing all too well what dangers might have been waiting for them, and walked into the trees at the spot the radio had been lying. The forest quickly closed in around them, even more than it had done on the way up to the lake. The trees were larger and closer together, and the forest floor was choked with mosses and ferns.

  "There could be boggy places up here," Branch warned, his voice low and steady. "Watch your footing."

  The two of them moved slowly, stopping here and there to sweep their flashlight beams around, looking for Dale or any signs of which way he might have gone. As they walked, a breeze came up, rustling through the oak trees and stirring up the dead leaves and pine needles where they walked. While Geoff had thought the silence eerie, he quickly began to think that the wind was worse. It took considerable willpower not to stop and shine his light in the direction of every slight noise he heard.

  Their presence seemed to agitate the creatures of the forest as well, and Branch kept his ears open for the sound of anything larger than a squirrel or a raccoon. Once, he heard a twig snap and threw his hand over to Geoff's chest to stop him. They stood still, barely breathing, but there was nothing but the sound of the breeze after that. Whatever it had been quieted the animals as well.

  "This is crazy," Geoff finally hissed after an hour or so of meandering through the woods. "We should go back down and regroup in the morning."

  Branch knew he was probably right. He stopped to think, lazily sweeping his flashlight beam around them. The ground had been slowly switching to a downhill grade over the last few minutes and they were getting farther and farther away from Grand Arbré. Soon they'd be in the next valley and not long after that, the next town. He wondered if Dale had gone there for help, even though it hadn't been any closer than his own town.

  "Maybe you're right," he finally conceded. "Tomorrow morning, we can coordinate with the next town over. It's just down this ridge. Maybe someone there has seen something." When Geoff nodded, Branch started to follow him, but noticed that the FBI agent had stepped back toward a tree, to lean and rest a moment, he presumed. As Geoff stepped back, though, Branch held up his hands and shouted, "No!" It was too late. He heard a loud crack and watched in horror as his lover disappeared into a hole in the ground.

  Branch rushed over to the side of the trapping pit. He slid to a stop before getting there, just in case there was more to it. The last thing they needed was for both of them to fall into it. He called out to Geoff, and then when he was sure it was safe, he crawled over to the edge and flashed his beam down to see if the man was all right.

  Geoff groaned as his thumping heart started to slow. He opened his eyes and rubbed the back of his head. He hadn't hit it hard enough to knock him out, but enough that it was going to be sore. When he saw Branch's light, he looked up and gave the man a thumb's up.

  "I'm all right," he said. "Luckily there weren't any spikes or anything down here." He looked around at what appeared to be a simple, nondescript hole in the ground. "What is this thing doing in the middle of the forest?"

  "It's probably for bears," Branch answered and then glanced around the area before shining his flashlight back down. "It really shouldn't be here though. The only people allowed to build these are park rangers and the like, to study the population and that sort of thing. They would have told me and they would have had to clearly mark it."

  "Yeah, well, it is dark," Geoff grumbled.

  "No, there's no way this would have been here without me knowing." Branch grit his teeth and shook his head. "Now we'll have to figure out how to get you out of it."

  They had no rope with them. Branch cursed himself because he knew there was some back in his vehicle. It would be a three hour round trip to go back for it though, and he had the sneaking suspicion that someone had put the pit there illegally. In the back of his mind, he even entertained the idea that it might be for purposes other than trapping bears.

  "Can you climb up at all?" he called down.

  "I can try," Geoff replied and got to his feet. He still felt a little shaky, but nothing seemed injured. He searched the pit for any kind of handholds, but there were none. He was tall enough that the top of it was only about two feet above him, but when he tried to jump and grab the edge, the soil was so moist that it simply crumbled under his hands.

  "Do you think you can handle pulling me up?" he asked Branch.

  Branch ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe, if you can find a foothold and help me by climbing a bit. We can give it a try." He knew that Geoff had to have at least seventy-five pounds on him and it would be like pulling dead weight if the man couldn't find a way to climb. Worst case scenario, they'd both end up in the hole. He tried not to think of it though and looked for a good place to brace himself. Unfortunately, there was little he could do other than try to dig in at the tree. He got into position and waited for Geoff to jump again. Fortunately, the agent got a better handhold this time and hung on as Branch grabbed his other hand.

  "Okay, pull!" Geoff yelled.

  Branch leaned back and pulled with all his might, but Geoff barely budged. "Jesus," he croaked and growled into the pull. His shoulders felt like they were about to pull out of their sockets, but then he felt some of the tension relieved.

  "I found a foothold," Geoff called out and then hefted himself up to the edge of the pit. His head popped over it and he laughed in relief. The two of them struggled, but managed to drag him over the edge, where he collapsed next to an exhausted Branch. They leaned back against the tree to catch their breath and then started laughing.

  "Oh my God," Geoff wheezed. "That was not what I was expecting when I was thinking about the dangers of the forest." He chuckled again and then caught his breath. "Who do you think dug that anyway?"

  "Could be poachers," Branch answered, his brow knitting into a frown. "It could have been here for a long time, though. Like I said, no one really comes out to the far side of the lake." That, more than anything, was what was worrying him most.

  The two of them were quiet for a moment, and then Geoff took Branch's hand. "Thanks for saving me."

  Branch glanced down at their hands, barely able to see them, and then looked up into Geoff's face. He could tell that the man had his eyes closed and that his hair and beard were now a mess. He shone his light on Geoff's face and laughed at the dirt smeared all o
ver it. He moved the light away when the man opened his eyes.

  "Aren’t we a pair?" he quipped. "I'm supposed to know these woods like the back of my hand and all I've managed to do is lead you into a bear trap."

  Geoff snorted and leaned over closer. He'd have put his head on Branch's shoulder, but that was a little too far to lean. Instead, he managed to get his chin on top of the shorter man's head, though it didn't last long as it made talking a bit awkward.

  "Well, I imagine you haven't been to this part of the woods much either," he finally answered.

  "That's true," Branch said, perking up a bit. Suddenly, all thoughts of the search got pushed to the side. He found himself thinking about earlier that afternoon, their lovemaking and the feelings he was quickly developing for Geoff. Then the thought struck him that the two of them weren't exactly next door neighbors.

  "What are we going to do?" he found himself blurting out.

  "I thought we'd sit here a few more minutes and then try again," Geoff answered.

  "I don't mean about that," Branch said, his voice almost frustrated that his lover didn't know what he was talking about. "I mean about us."

  Geoff leaned back in surprise and shook his head. "I...hadn't really thought about it."

  "Great," Branch mumbled and hung his head.

  "I don't mean it like that. I just meant...there really hasn't been time, you know. We've been a bit busy." He thought for a moment, realizing what Branch was getting at. "Look, let's work it out when this is over. I think we need to keep our minds on the forest. The last thing I want is to fall into a more dangerous trap."

  Branch nodded. "That's a good idea." Then he stood and offered a hand to Geoff. "I also think we'd better head back down until morning. Then we can regroup and come up with a better plan."

  Geoff grinned, but kept the "I told you so" to himself. Then the two of them carefully avoided the large hole in the ground and started back the way they'd come. The forest seemed just as dark and oppressive on the way back down the mountain, though Geoff felt a bit of relief that they were headed back to slightly more familiar territory. He kept his eyes open, though, and never strayed from being right on Branch's tail.

  He remembered that they were about an hour and a half from the parking area near the lake, but after an hour of hiking, he began to get an eerie sensation down his spine. He reached out and tapped Branch's shoulder and then stopped to look around. He let his flashlight slowly sweep the forest and then turned to his companion with a frown. He thought that, maybe, he was imagining things given he wasn't a local, but he saw the same frown on Branch's face.

  "We're not where we should be, are we?" he asked.

  Branch shook his head. "I don't think so. I mean, I don't see how we couldn't be. We were headed back toward the lake, but none of this looks familiar."

  Geoff gritted his teeth, knowing he shouldn't blame Branch. It was dark, the woods were thick, anyone could get lost. He could see the determined look on the man's face as well, mixed with a bit of confusion.

  "I could swear we followed the exact same path back as we'd taken coming in," Branch insisted.

  "Okay, I believe you," Geoff replied. "But where are we now?"

  Branch held up his own flashlight and squinted into the distance. "There's a stand of redwoods over there. See the enormous trunks?"

  "Yeah."

  "This has got to be the same ridge that your campers hiked in from."

  Geoff turned to his right. "So, the lake has to be that way then?"

  "Stands to reason."

  The two of them made their way to the south, subtly, as Branch thought it a bad idea to make a sharp turn off their trail. He knew they couldn't have gotten that far off course. The truth was, he was starting to get scared and not only about being lost. Something else was bothering him, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was.

  The two of them trudged on for another hour before exhaustion and chilly temperatures began to set in. Geoff marched behind Branch, but it became clear that something was wrong. He could hear the Sheriff whispering to himself and finally stopped him.

  "Who are you talking to?" Geoff asked.

  "Just trying to calculate our way out of here," Branch snapped. "You can lead if you think you can do better."

  "No, I was just wondering if you were okay."

  "I'm fine," Branch insisted, but then closed his eyes and began to sway.

  "Branch!" Geoff cried and quickly caught him before he could fall.

  "I said, I'm fine," the Sheriff still insisted, but he couldn't help but admit that something was off. A loud buzzing started in his ears, but he quickly realized it was the sound of angry, shrill birds. He opened his eyes and glanced around. He couldn't pinpoint the source of the noise in the dark, but bright lights suddenly appeared behind Geoff.

  "What is that?" he hissed.

  Geoff turned his head, but didn't see anything except darkened trees. When he turned back to Branch, the man looked hysterical and started squirming to get out of his arms. He didn't let him go, though. Thinking he might be dehydrated, he grabbed Branch's canteen. He gave it a shake. It wasn't full, so the man had been drinking, but a strange notion came into Geoff's head. He twisted the top off and gave the water a sniff. There was a strange, chemical smell to it and he quickly put the top back on.

  "Where did you fill up this canteen?" he asked. When the Sheriff only thrashed and pointed behind him, Geoff shook him. "Branch! Where did you fill up the canteen?"

  "I...it was in the SUV. I always keep a full one in there."

  "Jesus," Geoff hissed and ran a hand through his messy hair. "I think someone's drugged you."

  "What?" Branch huffed and finally pulled away from the man. "That's ridiculous." He paused, his eyes widening. "Did you hear that?"

  Geoff sighed. "There's nothing there. You're hallucinating."

  Branch shook his head violently. "We've gotta get out of here. Come on!" He grabbed Geoff's hand and tried to drag him away, but the larger man barely budged. "Bear, Geoff. Come on!"

  "There's no bear, Branch. It's all in your head!" He pulled the smaller man back and pushed him up against a tree. "This isn't real. You've been drugged. It's just—"

  Suddenly, something came crashing through the trees, sending Geoff flying into a nearby patch of ferns. With a groan, he picked up his head to see a large, black shape making for Branch, who'd moved away from the tree. He watched in horror as Branch slowly backed away, the bear following curiously. Geoff carefully got to his feet, making sure nothing was broken. As he did so, the bear rushed forward, shoving Branch into another tree. He gulped as Branch cried out.

  "What do I do?" Geoff called, ignoring the danger.

  "Make some noise," Branch called out. "Try to scare it." He pushed at the bear's head, trying to keep it from biting him, but the bear was much stronger. He knew his only chance was to convince the bear that he wasn't worth the trouble. He had no idea what Geoff might have in mind, but his eyes widened at the sight of his lover running toward the bear, a large tree branch in his hand. He tried to shake his head, but he knew Geoff couldn't see it in the dark.

  Geoff had no idea what to do with a bear. He'd heard about banging pots and pans and the like, but it wasn't as if they had any. He'd picked up the branch without really thinking about it and found himself shoving it into the bear's side in much the same state of mind. It got the animal's attention though. The bear turned from Branch, getting back on all fours, and spotted the offending human. Geoff gulped and slowly backed away. From the tree where he was now free, Branch watched in horror, just as his lover had, as the bear charged. However, Geoff's brain hadn't been addled by drugs, and instead of backing away, he stood his ground, pulled his gun out of its holster and fired it in the air. The bear was angry, but the sound made it hesitate, and when the gun went off again, the bear turned and casually ran away.

  For a moment, the two of them simply stood and watched the dark shape disappear. Then Geoff turned and ran over t
o Branch. He'd dropped his flashlight in the raucous, but he saw Branch's lying at his feet. He picked it up and looked the man over with a gasp. He'd managed to avoid being bitten, but he had deep gashes in his chest from the bear slamming him into the tree.

  He took Branch by the shoulders and gently pushed him onto his knees. "You'll be all right," he said in a shaky voice. "We need to...get you down the mountain, treat your wounds."

  Branch, who'd sobered up considerably in the last few minutes, gave him a weak smile and nodded. "That's why I have the first aid kit with the survival gear. It's in the pack," he added and began trying to shrug off the hiking bag on his back.

  Geoff gently pulled it off of him and then quickly dug through for the kit. He knew they were going to need to clean the wounds, but they couldn't use Branch's water. He opened his own canteen and wet a piece of gauze from the kit.

  "Be careful with that," Branch said. "That's all the water we've got now."

  "I know." He carefully cleaned the wound, going through three pieces of gauze, leaving just enough to cover the wound, and hopefully enough water to get them through the woods. The gashes were serious, but not bleeding very badly and he managed to patch them up pretty well.

  "I think we should stay here and rest," he suggested when he was through.

  Branch shook his head, but the truth was, he wasn't sure what to do at this point. He couldn't be sure he was thinking clearly yet, or that either of them had the strength left to get back down the mountain that night. He didn't like the idea of being out there though, especially knowing that the bear was still nearby and that someone had drugged his canteen. He tried to think back, figure out how it would be possible, but his thoughts were too jumbled.

  "I don't think we can get back to the SUV," he finally admitted. "But we need to find somewhere more sheltered, maybe get a fire going."

  Geoff didn't like the idea of moving Branch, but he knew the Sheriff was probably right, so he helped him to his feet anyway. He wasn't sure either of them had any idea where they were now, so he put an arm around the shorter man and they set off together.